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So... this non posting business has gone on long enough. Its time to restart this blog!

Well, the latest and greatest news is I finally got the damn outboard back from the shop last weekend. Its very hard to be patient about something you buy and cannot use immediately, in fact, its been one heck of a lesson. Well, I got the motor back and God smiled upon me and blessed me with 2 full days of sailing in good winds in nice weather. Ohh, not to mention warm tempuratures as well.

The first day my step dad drove down. We prepped the boat and I went over a few things with him and we got her out of the slip and out into the lake. Ok, he has never sailed in his life and well, I have only been out maybe 2 times on other peoples' boats, never on my own. We decided to stay in the lake area and everything went well. We cruised around the lake for around 2 -3 hours under full main alone, I was a bit nervous about raising the jib too as this was my first time out. I practised tacking all over the lake and we made about 8 passes back and forth before we headed back in and called it a day. It was an amazing feeling to be out there and I was really having a blast. I went over to my friend Chris's house that night and had some drinks with him and his friends. He has a morgan 25 and has taken me out on his boat. He has been sailing for some 20 0dd years so he agreed to come out with me on mine the following morning to show me how its really supposed to be done and fully check all my rigging and make sure Im not missing something. I spent the night on the boat the night as I have been doing for the past weekends and slept great.

Rami showed up at around 11:30 am and I just returned from West Marine with my new mainsheet. I had totally shredded the previous one as it was the only line on my boat that I did not replace when I redid all the running rigging. We got everything ready to go and got some beer. Chris shows up and helps me with a stupid bowline knot I couldnt get to set for the life of me on the mainsheet. We start heading out and we decided to head out into the bay so we motor all the way across the lake and through the Kemah Channel. We had some asshole on a huge speed boat come from behind us s we were leaving the channel in front of the boardwalk and just blast through the middle of several sailboats and 1 other motor boat. The wake he left sent my 25' rocking violently and it really pissed me off. Is it illegal to shoot at someone with a flair gun???? We went out under a reefed main alone and cruised along nicely for a while. We could have ran a full main but we decided a nice easy sail was more ideal for the moment. We cruised along and headed way out into the bay and the wind slowly started dying down. About 5-8 miles out we unreefed and ran a full main and tacked back around and raised the jib. Even under full sail, we were barely making 2 knots but in no real hurry to get back, we just drank some beer and enjoyed the nice slow cruise with the waves now coming up from behind. About 45 minutes later, the wind started picking back up and we started gaining some speed. We adjusted our tack a little to be on a beam reach. Wow! We sheeted the main in a little and the next thing I know we are hauling ass! What a rush! Chris tells me we are making probably around 5-6 knots and we were heeling around 30 degrees maybe a little more. I loved the heeling especially and the smoothness as we effortlessly sliced through the waves. I let Rami take over on the helm and I went forward to the bow to just look around and take it all in. The weather was perfect, 75F, sunny skies, and now its 4:45 or so and the sky is an awsome color. Im looking at the sails, huge and filled with wind, carrying the boat along at this speed and giving us the ride of our lives. I could not have asked for a better sunday.

As for everything else, not much has been going on. I have been working a lot and just enjoying my time working in this environment and learning a lot. We have a great IT team here and Im glad to be a part of it. The surfing for me has been lacking. I can no longer do dawn patrols and gettin the surf to line up on the weekends perfectly just isnt happening. Ohh not to mention, the water is a toasty 56F and all I have is a 3/2. Bleh...

Today starts the day of my diet and goal to get into better shape and save more money. I know, I know, new years was last week, BUT, I never start my goals right on the 1st. I know how I think and I know most people fail. I give myself that extra week to still be bad and just get it out. Starting on the 1st is a daunting task, especially if you are super hung over the next day. The only thing Im thinking about is a nice juicy hamburger somehwere. So, I think Im ready. We have a mini gym in the garage now, so thats pretty cool. I really cant wait for this weekend. I hope the weather holds out and I can go sailing again!!!!